Amalgamator



(No Model.)

B. s. HARBAGH.

AMALGAMATOR. No. 340,874. Patented Apr. 2

messes: V $132M lutions of the conveyer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN S. HARBAGH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMALGAMATO R.

fill PECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,874, datedApril 2'7, 1886.

Application filed October 24, 1885. Serial No. 180,853. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. HARBACH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArnalgamators, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object -of this invention is to effect a rapid and economicalseparation of gold from the earth in which it is found without the useof water; and to this end the invention consists in a new machine andmethod for accomplishing what is generally known as dry amalgamation,the details of which will be hereinafter fully explained.

Figure 1 is a vertical section on line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an endelevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line or a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a detached view, enlarged, of one of thespirals or convo- Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the spiral.

Like figures indicate'like parts in all the views.

1 1 are the posts, 2 2 the sills, and 3 a crossgirt, of the frame,which, however, may be of any construction adapted to support theoperative parts of my machine.

4 is a cylinder-head at the head end or receiving end of the machine.

5 6 is the lower half of the cylinder or casing, which is semicircularincross-section and of uniform diameter throughout, except that at itsrear end or discharging end it is contracted, as at 6, (see Figs. 1, 2,4,) whereby the lower side at its extreme rear end is some whatelevated, for a purpose which will be explained.

I prefer to use a second semi cylinder or shell, 7, which may be hingedto the part 5 6, as at 8 8. a

9 is a half-head closing the discharging end of the machine above thegirt 3.

10 is a shaft mounted in suitable bearings on the framework-forinstance, as indicated in the drawingsand provided at suitable intervalswith spider-arms 1.1 11, the hubs of which are keyed or otherwise madefast to the h shaft.

12 represents the convolutions of a conveyer or worm mounted upon andcarried by the spider-arms, and of an external diameter a little lessthan the internal diameter of the shell, so as to revolve in closeproximity to said shell.

13 13 are lifting blades or plates attached by their edges to theconvolutions of the conveyer and projecting laterally therefrom. Asindicated in Figs. 1, 2, 5, these blades are each attached by one edgeto the outer edge of the conveyer-blade, the inner edge of each platebeing nearer the axis of the conveyer than the edge which is attached tothe convolution.

In Fig. 6 each plate is attached to the conveyer-blade by one edge, butnot to the periphery of the convolution, being arranged on a linetangential thereto, the plane of the plate being by preference parallelwith a plane running lengthwise of the conveyer and intersecting itsaxis.

The convolutions 14. of the conveyer at the discharging end of themachine are of reduced diameter, to correspond substantially with thecontracted end of the cylinder.

It will be readily understood that as the conveyer revolves the platesor lifting-blades will elevate more or less of the contents of thecylinder, which material will, as the conveyer continues its rotation,slide off from the plates upon the mass below, whereby the agitation ofthe auriferous earth will be accomplished more perfectly than would bepossible, or at least practicable, with a conveyer of the ordinaryconstruction.

15 16 is a trough arranged below the shell,

which latter is cut away to correspond with the 'inturned edges of thesides of the trough. By preference the bottom of this trough isinclined, as indicated in Fig. 1.

17 is a feed-hopper, through which the mingled mass of gold, earth, andother materials may be fed into the machine. There may be a supply-pipeopening into the head end of the trough, as at 18, Fig. 1.

19 20 represent, respectively, a dischargepipe and stopcock or othergate, located at the tail-end of the trough, through which to draw offits contents, as may be desired.

7 2lcis a transverse partition placed in the trough near the dischargingend of the machine, the lower edge of the partition being a shortdistance above the bottom of the trough, so as to form a throat, throughwhich the contents of the trough may pass.

22 is a pulley orband-wheel on the end of shaft 10. This pulley may bebelted to any convenient motor.

23 23 are holes, one or more, in the widened rear ends, 16, of thetrough, to permit the passage of air and the overflow of mercury, aswill be explained.

24 is a bracket or saddle in which the head end or receiving end of theshell 5 6 may be convenienll y supported.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular form of conveyer-spiralshown, nor to arranging them at any particular inclination or pitch,

nor making them in a substantially continuous worm or thread, asindicated, because under some circumstances, I find it desirable to useseparate convolutions, substantially as indicated in Fig. 5

By an examination of the drawings it will be seen that when the troughis filled with quicksilver, its upper surface will be a little above thelower edges of the conveyer-blades, so that during the revolutions ofthe conveyer the mingled mass of gold, auriferous earth and othermaterial will be rolled, tumbled, and thoroughly agitated in such mannerthat all portions of it will be successively brought into contact withthe quicksilver, and that the gold will sink to the bottom of the troughor at least into the quicksilver; but the refuse will be slowly advancedover the surface of the quicksilver, and finally discharged at the rearend of the machine without seriously disturbing the surface of thequicksilver, or, under ordinary circumstances, causing it to bank up inadvance of the coiweyer-blades.

In order to effectually guard against the quicksilver being advancedfrom the head machine toward the discharging end, I have extended bothsides of the trough beyond the lines at which it (the trough) isintersected by the shell or cylinder, into which extensions thequicksilver and such gold as may be accumulated therein can flowtemporarily.

The inclined reduced portion 6 of the cylinder, while it will notinterfere with the discharge of refuse, will return to the trough anyquicksilver which may possibly be carried thither with the refuse andwould otherwise be discharged and wasted.

In order to guard against any loss or wastage by reason of thequicksilver or gold adhering to the conveyer, I make it wholly of ironor other neutral material, whereby I am enabled to accomplish asatisfactory separation of the gold from the earth and other impuritiesin a more economical manner than has ever before been attained.

As a further safeguard against the contents of the trough being forcedrearward and out of the machinewith the refuse, I provide the 1partition 21, the upper edge of which is on a line with the lower lineof the conveyer, the lower edge of the partition being a short distancefrom the bottom of the trough, and through the throat thus formed thequicksilver and portion of all of the gold in the trough will pass whenthe stop-cock 20 is opened.

By slowly introducing a fresh supply of mercury at 18, and leaving thestop cock slightly open, a continuous flow of mercury and gold throughthe trough can be maintained, and the mercury, after the gold has beenseparated therefrom, may be returned and run through the machine again.

Should the mercury from any cause-such as accumulation of gold in thetrough-rise above its sides into the cylinder, it would not underordinary circumstances rise high enough to be discharged at the tail endwith the refuse, because of the overflow-holes 23, (see Figs. 1 and 4,)thus avoiding the waste of quicksilver and gold which might otherwiseresult.

Although I regard iron as the best material for the conveyer, yet I donot wish to be limited thereby, because 1 may use any other materialthat is neutralthat is to say, to which quicksilver will not adhere whenbrought into contact therewith by the operation of the machine. Ofcourse a hand-crank may be used instead of a band-wheel to drive theconveyer; nor do I wish to be limited to the precise construction shownof the lifting-plates, which project laterally from the convolutions ofthe conveyer, because their construction might be materially modified,as might be also their position relative to the conveyer or their modeof attachment to its convolutions without departing, essentially, fromthat part of my invention.

By examining Fig. 3 it will be seen that the mercury holder is outsideof the cylinder, which latter may be regarded as the ore-ho1der. In thisrespect my apparatus differs materially from those devices heretofore inuse having cylinders and conveyers, as the cylinders heretofore havefurnished only a single compartment, serving both as an ore-holder and amercury-chamber. XVith these devices it becomes necessary either to sinkthe convcyer-blades deep into the mercury, or else it is impossible tohave them engage at their sides with the ore, for when they are elevatedso as to have their peripheries at or just slightly below the surface ofthe mercury they are out of concentricity with the cylinder, and widespaces are left open between their side edges and the cylinder-walls.

I can engage with all of the ore by my conveyer-blades and advance it,and at the same time avoid disturbing the main body of the mercury,inasmuch as it lies outside of the cylinder-walls--that is to say, Iemploy, in combination with the means for advancing the ore, amercury-holder and walls converging downwardly toward themercuryliolder, and having an opening between them. I prefer to havethis opening somewhat narrower than the upper surface of the mercury,inasmuch as I can thus provide a lateral recoil-chamber, which shallrelieve the mercury of any forward pressure that may be exerted by theblades when they dip into the surface, one of my objects being to keepthe mercury in an undisturbed state. Of course more or less of the sameends could be attained if the mercury and the advancing mechanism beplaced in one general cylinder-that is, if the walls of themercury-trough we're concentric with the upper part of thecylinderprovided that walls or partitions similar to those shown for thebottom part of the cylinder be arranged to converge between themercury'space and the conveyor.

I am aware of the fact that use has been made of rectilinearly-movingbrushes to carry dry material over mercury,said brushes being arrangedperpendicularly to their path; but I so treat the material that it shallbe turned and tumbled over and over, and the mercury is not pusheddirectly forward, as it is by devices similar to the brushes abovementioned.

The slow forward movement of the amalgamated material in the trough isfacilitated by having the body of mercury gradually increased in depth,so that the heavier portion cannot reach the bottom at once, but shallbe suspended more or less until it reaches the exit. By so arranging theparts that they shall act in this way, I can supply at the upper endfresh mercury, which shall be substantially proportional to the valuablematerial delivered to its surface, and which can be caused to move as acurrent either continuously or at such-intervals as are advantageous.

By having the mercury-chamber divided into two parts, one communicatingwith the other, and one so arranged that the earth shall not be incontact with the mercury therein, I can prevent the mercury from bankingup in front of the conveyor at the tail end, as the mercury can escapefrom one part of the chamber to the other, and hence it can be preventedfrom being carried up the incline at the end and lost with the refuse.

I do not herein make claim to any particular process which can becarried out in using the mechanism that I have described. Said mechanismmay be used to follow any of several processes.

I prefer to follow an improved method which I have devised; but thismethod I have made the subject-matter of claims in another applicationof mine-to wit, No. 173,411, filed August 3, 1885.

I do not herein claim a conveyor made of iron or neutral material, butshall make that the subject-matter of another application which I amabout to file.

IVhat I claim is"- 1. In an amalgamator, the combination of theopen-bottomed cylinder, a mercury-holder outside of and below thecylinder, means, sub stantially as described, for advancing the orethrough the cylinder and over the upper surface of the mercury while incontact therewith, and an inclined support at the discharge end of thecylinder for the escaping refuse, substantially as set forth. 7

2. The combination of means, substantially as described, for advancingthe ore, a mercury-holder, and inclined walls for holding and retainingthe ore converging toward the mercury-holder to points inside of thesides of the mercury-holder, substantially as described.

3. The combination of means, substantially as described, for advancingthe ore, a pulpholder having'an opening in its bottom, and a mercury-holder, constructed and arranged as set forth, wider than the saidopening, as described.

4. The combination of means, substantially as set forth, to advance theore, an ore-holder, a mercury-holder, and a wall or partition transverseto the path of the ore and extending down into the mercury andconstructed, substantially as set forth, to provide a passage for themercury below the top of the partition, as described.

5. The combination of means, substantially as described, for advancingthe ore, the oreholder having its lower walls substantially circular insection and with an opening between them, and the mercm'y-holder widerthan said opening and arranged, substantially as described, to have thesurface of the mercury at or near the edges of the opening, as setforth.

6. The combination, with the means for advancing the ore and the wallswhich hold or confine the ore, of the mercury-holder having an inclinedbottom and an opening at the top communicating continuously with thecylinder along the bottom thereof, substantial] y as set forth.

7. The combination, with the mercury-hold er having the inclined bottom,the cylinder or pulp-holder above the mercuryholder, and the conveyorfor advancing, of means for continuously supplying and continuouslywithdrawing the mercury, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination, with the cylinder or pulp-holder, the eonveyer, andthe mercuryholder, of the vertical partition or wall 21, arranged,substantially as set forth, to have the ore pass over it and the mercurypass un der it, substantially as set forth.

9. In an amalgamator, the combination, with means for advancing andcontaining the ore, of a mercuryholder adapted, substan- 10. In anamalgamator, the combination of surface of the mercury, substantially asset a mercury-holder, a cylinder or chamber for forth. 10 the ore abovethe mercury-ho1der, a conveyer In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein arranged, substantially as set forth, to advance presence of twowitnesses.

5 the ore over the surface of the mercury, and BENJAMIN S. HARBAGH.

the lifting-plates secured to the conveyer- Witnesses: blade andarranged, substantially as set forth, CHAS. H. ()TTERSON,

to take up the ore and drop it upon the CHAS. H. GONOVER,

